Malta is an island nation off the coasts of Southern Italy. Its location has always been an entrance from the Arab world to Europe. This passage-like destination made the country prone to constant raides from all sides.
However, Malta today ranks among the safest countries in the world. A study conducted by Value Pengiun classifies different countries according to safety standards. It is remarkable how Malta occupies the 7th spot in the small countries list. While another island nation takes the first rank which is Cyprus.
Malta's Geography and Its Smaller Islands
As the island is de-facto an archipelago, it consists of three main islands. Gozo is the second largest after Malta’s mainland. This latter is Malta proper, where Valleta covers its whole area. Lastly, comes the island of Comino, the smallest among the 3 inhabited islands.
The island is a tourist haven in winter. Since many European tourists, especially in Northern-Europe will experience cold and snowy weathers. As a result, Malta becomes their sunshine destination.
Notwithstanding the fact that, in summer Malta’s most popular beaches of Mellieha Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha and Golden Bay will be packed with sunbathers. Moreover, this same scenario is repeated in winter, but with lesser numbers of beach goers and shorter hours.
The Interesting Maltese Language
This language is considered the only Semitic language of the European Union. Additionally, much of the Maltese language derives from Italian, Arabic and English.
This Beautiful fusion of languages makes Malta one of the most unique places in the world. As a result, this is further reflected in the rich culture of the land.
Therefore, tourists from various nationalities feel a sense of belonging, as the country provides this sensation. For instance, many Arabic speakers claim that they can understand 40% of the Maltese sentences. This of course, is on condition that the speaker is slow in pronouncing the words.
But how did Arabic came about to dominate the Maltese language? Well this fact needs a bit of historical context to understand. The reason lies in the introduction of Siculo-Arabic that was spoken in the Emirate of Sicily around the year 1000 AD. This particular language is extinct nowadays, however the only surviving reminiscent language is Maltese.
By the same token, Malta becomes a time machine destination. With that in mind, this places a strong emphasis on Malta’s ecotourism and the survival of its natural and historical treasures.
Places to Visit and Things to do around Malta
These are some of the interesreting activities to explore around Malta:
-Diving to explore military wrecks of the HMS Maori, a British Tribal-class destroyer sunk by the German in WW 2
-Visiting Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta’s harbour
-Exploring the National Museum of Archeology
-Admiring the ancient Capital of Mdina. This is a treat for Game of Thrones fans.
